My Guardian Angel
by Elle Valentine
Summary: Sequel to 'Rescue Me'. Bruce Wayne and Elena are happily married, but what happens when a new villan comes to town who thrives on riddles? Will their happiness last? Please R&R!
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** So I'm finally back! Happy New Year everyone! In case you just stumbled upon this story, I suggest you read 'Rescue Me' first, this is the sequel! XD To all my past reviewers: THANK YOU!!! I could never have finished 'Rescue Me' without you! Please review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but Elena.

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_A shadow veil fell over the City of Gotham. Or, what was once Gotham. The various buildings and towers which were so usually cluttered now lay in a heap of rubble among the stone pavement. People were absent from this destruction; some fled during the terror, others…not so lucky. A totaled car lay smashed against an old sewer entrance, the entire metal frame crushed by a collapsing building. In it, you can almost make out the remnants of two tiny skeletons._

_The air is putrid ash and the smoke filling your nostrils is almost too much to bear. However, one man accepts this in defeat. One man, out of the entire city, lingers in the dead land, ever searching for justice. His old withered frame limps on past the wreckage, a sad dull look in his eyes. Once, he was a great warrior, the guardian of the people…but no longer. His once vengeful promise to his parents seems ages ago, ever since __she__ died. _

_The man paused. His gray eyes fill with tears over his dead wife. She had been kidnapped by the mob, and as a message to him, thrown off a bridge and drowned in the ocean. It was only after his grief that he sought revenge, and killed every last one of them. Now her ghost haunted his every waking step and he was powerless to stop her. The burning rage he had felt for so long had died with them, now replaced only by endless guilt. _

_The man pulled something from his pocket, something of hers. A golden chain with a single diamond at the end, encased in gold rose petals. The man's eyes filled with unshed tears. __Oh Elena._

Bruce Wayne jerked upright in his bed, a loud gasp escaping his lips. The vivid nightmare, thought to be reality, vanished into his mind, no longer the façade that he had seen around him. With shaky hands, he brushed his brown hair back against his sweaty scalp and concentrated on controlling his pounding heart. The moonlight from his upper window shone down upon his bare chest, illuminating the drops of sweat that clung to his frame.

Bruce exhaled deeply, shutting his eyes. It had looked so real… he thought, trying to relax his clenched muscles. His breathing began to slow as he continued to exhale, working on controlling his body. Yet, unable to find peace, he found himself wondering about the dream.

He had been having more and more nightmares it seemed, with what little sleep he was getting. On this rare day—the day of his wedding in fact—he would have thought having a free evening from being the caped crusader would expel his raging thoughts. But it only seemed to fuel them more. With a frustrated sigh, Bruce threw the covers aside and walked to the large window that oversaw Gotham City.

The city was indeed beautiful at night. Not seeing it from out of a mask only enhanced it's everlasting beauty. Though it was 3 am, the many buildings of offices still shone with the hundreds of lights and the cars below were just the same. The boundless night sky was covered in twinkling stars and the full moon shone brightly from above. Bruce wondered if he had seen anything more perfect.

"Bruce?" A soft voice called behind him.

Without hesitation, his heart gave an uneven thump inside his chest. After three years, her voice was still the most comforting thing he knew.

"Yes, Elena?" he replied, without turning around. She would see the look in his eyes and know something was wrong.

There was a quiet rustling, then a pair of footsteps met his ear. A warm hand lay comfortably on top his arm, gently turning him to face her. And his heart melted.

Her long brown hair was tousled slightly, evidence of her sleep. She had tossed a silk robe over her undergarments, all that was left from their night of lovemaking. Her sapphire eyes were gentle and innocent, along with her tender lips that were tempting Bruce unconsciously. Her porcelain skin was awash in moonlight, the glow of it encasing her perfect body. No woman on Earth could look so much of an angel to Bruce.

"Bruce? What's wrong?" She still spoke in that hushed tone, the way she would speak to him when he would get injured. She was always there to hold his hand.

"Nothing…" he mumbled, returning his gaze back to the city. "Why don't you go back to sleep—,"

"Bruce…" Her slender fingers tilted his chin towards her and she smiled sadly as his chocolate eyes met hers.

"If you can't trust me to tell me the truth," she continued, reaching over to grasp his other hand. Hers felt so smooth against his rough skin. "I am nothing but a shadow."

The billionaire swallowed thickly. "It was just another nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." He turned and broke free from her grasp, intent on going back to bed. But something stopped him. Maybe it was her silence, maybe it was her understanding. Regardless, he turned to face her.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I just…"

"Shhh…" Gently, she placed two of her fingers against his lips, silencing him. "I know."

The young woman moved her fingers and leaned forward to replace it with her mouth. Awash in desire, Bruce pulled her close, kissing her passionately. Stopping only for air, Bruce's arms tightened around her small waist.

"How did I ever deserve you?" he whispered huskily, earning a pleasurable shiver from Elena.

"That is the same question," she responded, her breathing just as rapid. "That I ask myself everyday." She looked up and smiled at Bruce, her husband, who gently smiled in return.

----

**Author's Note:** So what'd you think? This is just the prologue; the real chapters will be as long as like in 'Rescue Me'. Please R&R!!! I live on reviews! XD


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for the feedback, guys! I really appreciate the time you guys put in to write me a review, really, it makes my day! ^_^ Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Finals for school are tomorrow and all that week so I've been studying like mad. Once the semester is over, I'll be writing a lot more frequently. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Elena.

----

It was yet another snowy day in Gotham City. Small clumps of white snow covered the streets and buildings in a layer of ice, making the roads slippery and unexpected puddles of water more frequent. People bustled across the streets cautiously, taking care with each hesitant step as they walked onto the icy asphalt. A group of children threw snowballs at each other, laughing hysterically when one of the boys got hit right in the face.

From the highest room in Wayne Tower, a young woman giggled softly at the sight. Not a day over 25, she looked out the window with soft sapphire eyes adorned with full lashes. Long brown hair framed her beautiful face, where an easy smile always appeared. She sighed, watching the children play with a sad expression. If only she could be that free…

A loud beeping noise sounded from behind the woman suddenly, interrupting her current daydream. She spun her chair around to face a large wooden desk and quickly pressed a red button on the black machine.

"Yes?" she asked, voice instantly smooth and business-like. Silence ensured for a brief heart beat before a feminine voice answered.

"You're expected for the interview, Mrs. Wayne." There was a hint of silent irritation in the voice, so hidden, that the young woman couldn't help but crack a smile.

"I _was_ going, Teresa, I swear. I just wanted a breather before I get pressed for a thousand times on how Bruce lured me away from other women."

There was a delicate chuckle on the other line. "I understand, Mrs. Wayne. Interview's in the lounge." The line disconnected, leaving the young woman in comforting silence. With a defeated sigh, she rose from the leather chair and made her way to the door, ignoring her heavy heart. She was a representative of Bruce Wayne now, and must act accordingly. Before she left the room, however, she glanced back at the window; remnants of the children's play still evident in the snow. _She must act accordingly_, Elena sighed heavily, eyes suddenly sad. _No matter how much she wished otherwise._

----

"Mrs. Wayne it's a pleasure to meet you!" A young girl exclaimed, eyes bright with enthusiasm. Elena reached forward to shake the girl's hand, not failing to note the rainbow colored nails. The girl's face was cheery yet over polluted with thick makeup; eyes masked with electric blue eye shadow, and lips painted blood red. Her hair was jet black with streaks of green hidden within the darkness; the mere sight brought a smile to Elena's lips.

"Pleasure to meet you as well, Ms.—,"

"Sherbet Evergreen. I stand for the Gotham Daily and we're so excited you've agreed to this interview."

Elena resisted the urge—with difficulty—to laugh, and instead, coughed softly into her palm. Even the girl's name was colorful. "I'm just glad that my schedule allowed it." She gestured her arms to the white leather chairs before them. "Please, let's sit."

The two women sat, reveling in the cushy softness of the sofas. After a moment, Elena intervened the awkward silence. "Shall we start?"

"Ah, yes," A faint blush colored Sherbet's cheeks as she reached into the black bag at her feet and pulled out a notebook and pencil. Reaching in again, she showed a black recorder to Elena.

"May I?"

"Go right ahead," Elena leaned back into the chair as Sherbet took a moment to examine her notes.

"So, Mrs. Wayne, how did you and Mr. Wayne meet?"

Here we go, she thought with an involuntary sigh. "I was his secretary for a little while, fate took a clumsy leap, and voila!" Elena laughed softly. "It seemed wherever I went, he was always there to help me or comfort me."

Sherbet was busily writing this down on the notebook, and then she paused. "When would you say you fell in love with him?"

"Definitely from the first moment we met. I was late to my first day at Wayne Enterprises, and without knowing it was him, Bruce got a taxi to stop for me."

"How romantic!"

Elena smiled. "Yes, I daresay he is."

"So how about we get onto the topic of you. You're aware that Gotham International has declared you one of the most influential women in the city. How do you respond to something like that?"

Elena chuckled. "I hardly consider myself the top of anything, let alone the most influential woman in Gotham. But I take it as a compliment and would gladly accept the title as long as I don't have to make any speeches. I _hate_ speeches."

Both women laughed politely and Elena took that moment to grab the glass of water sitting beside her. The icy cold water felt amazing as it slid down her parched throat.

"Last year, you were kidnapped by the criminal mastermind, the Joker. How did you manage to survive that dreadful encounter?"

Elena stiffened and placed the drink back onto the glass table. The week she had spent with the Joker was not a memory she cared to recall.

"I just got lucky, I suppose," she evaded, hoping Sherbet would get the clue to drop the subject.

Unfortunately, that only caused the cheery interviewer to lean closer. "Oh, come on. Do tell!"

"It is not a topic I wish to discuss." Elena finalized coldly, ending the conversation. Seeing the girl's face sink, she panicked and quickly thought of something for the magazine. "But I'm so glad Bruce was there to save me, I don't know what I would've done."

Sherbet smiled, satisfied with the answer as Elena breathed a sigh of relief. These people will fall for anything romantic.

"What do your parents think about you marrying the billionaire Bruce Wayne?"

"My mother is dead and I never knew my father." Elena said bluntly, laughing cheerlessly and watching as Sherbet's face melted into sympathy. "I'm sure they would've asked for some money."

The interviewer coughed once, and Elena looked up, distracted from her past by the sudden sound. Sherbet's face was beet red with embarrassment, probably a result of the invasion onto Elena's personal privacy. Quickly, she shifted through her notes, finally settling on another question.

"Why do you think women in Gotham love Bruce so much?"

Elena paused, thinking of a suitable answer. Of course she knew her reasons, but she wasn't sure about the rest of the women in Gotham. They probably just wanted his money.

"It's the car." A deep voice answered behind them. The two women quickly turned around and spotted the source of the sound. Bruce Wayne stood in the doorway of the lounge, smiling. Elena's own face lit into a smile of her own as her husband walked up beside her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Chicks dig the car."

Sherbet squealed and began hastily writing down on her notepad. Bruce took that moment to lean down next to her ear. "How are you, my dear?"

Elena smiled and lightly kissed his lips. "I'm wonderful."

His warm breath tickled her ear as he chuckled, a deep throaty laugh. "I'm glad."

Sherbet looked up from her notes. "Mr. Wayne will you be joining us?"

Bruce glanced over at Elena's eyes for a brief second and nodded. Elena breathed a sigh of relief as her husband sat next to her, grasping her hand in his. It was so much easier to think around him.

"So," Sherbet continued, looking down at her paper. "Is there any plan for children soon?"

Mr. Wayne kissed his wife's palm gently as he smiled. "We hope so."

"Do you have any names in mind?" Sherbet prompted, eagerly writing all of this down.

Elena smiled. "If we have a boy we're going to name it Thomas. After Bruce's father." Bruce kissed her forehead as she said this, and she shivered. She loved this man.

Sherbet nodded, and then smiled. "Well that's the end of the interview." Bruce and Elena both stood to shake the girl's hand, smiling politely. "Thank you so much for doing this, we—at Gotham Daily—appreciate all that you both have done for this city."

----

Bruce pulled Elena by the hand, down the hall and into his office. Once inside and the door safely shut, he turned and kissed her passionately. Her arms wrapped around his neck while his own pulled her against him tightly. When they broke for air, he lightly kissed her nose.

"I've wanted to do that all day." He whispered, and Elena smiled.

"You're such a bad boy, Bruce Wayne." She retorted, trying to act mad. Instead, she ended up giggling as he nuzzled her neck. "But I like it."

He smiled. "How was your day?" He still didn't release her from his tight embrace, and she didn't mind.

"A lot better when you showed up."

"I'm glad." Bruce grinned and kissed her once more before moving to sit behind his desk. She hated being apart from him, but instead, she smiled as well. "So I'll see you at home? What do you want for dinner?"

He looked up from his computer and shrugged. "What ever you make, I'll like it, and you know that."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Yes, but the last time you said I cooked amazing, the meat was expired and we were both sick for five days."

Bruce laughed. "Alright, alright; but that was just one time."

The young woman walked over and kissed her husband on the cheek. "That's sweet, Bruce. But we both know I can't cook. I meant what do you want Alfred to make?"

He thought for a moment and then grinned. "Surprise me."

Elena smiled as well. It was hard to stay serious around him. "See you at home."

----

**Author's Note:** Did you like it? Please tell me! ^_^ Thanks so much for reading, you guys are the best!


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **So I feel that I have some explaining to do for not posting sooner. I kind of lost my incentive to continue writing this fanfic, but after reading all of your wonderful reviews, today, I decided I'm going to start up again. Oh, and I also lost all of my previous plot notes…

So I'm starting from scratch I guess. Might be a little slow in the beginning, but I eventually want to finish this story. Keep the reviews coming, you guys are wonderful!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but Elena Wayne.

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Elena awoke the next morning feeling groggy and dazed. At first, she recognized her surroundings; the ivory walls of Bruce's penthouse and the familiar room seemed to refresh her memory. Still half-asleep, she blinked slowly and yawned, not at all in a hurry.

The huge bed was entirely too comfortable for her to leave its warm sheets just yet, so she merely sat in content. It was then she noticed it was also empty. For some reason, a pang of loneliness shot through her heart.

The young woman chided herself quietly. It wasn't like Bruce was at a party; he was protecting Gotham and its citizens. But still… Instead of dwelling on the fact, Elena rubbed her face and threw the sheets aside.

Her feet withdrew from instinct as it met the cold tile, sending a shiver up her spine. With careful hands, she put on her silky robe and ran a hand through her tangled hair. _Ugh, I need a shower_, she thought with disgust. Mind set, she walked to the bathroom and opened the door with a creak.

To her surprise, Bruce stood at the sink, combing his lustrous brown hair. She grimaced. Why did he have to look so perfect, when she felt like shit? His tan muscled chest enticed her into its embrace but she ignored it. _By golly, I'm__** not**__ a morning person._

"Move, please."

With an amused glance, Bruce set down his comb and moved to the side, resting his shoulder against the wall. Ignoring his stare, Elena sighed and grabbed her toothbrush from the drawer, quickly putting toothpaste on its bristles. When she bent down to spit, Bruce's eye caught hers in the mirror. He looked as if he was trying to read her and having a difficult time. Her eyebrow arched.

"What?" She intended for her voice to sound sarcastic, but instead, her voice cracked. _So much for being witty. _

Bruce seemed to sense her mood, because a second later, a seductive smile graced his lips. "I just can't believe you're this beautiful when you wake up."

Her eyebrow lifted even more, expecting the words to sound like a jest. But she could sense no mockery in his voice, causing her heart to give an uneven thump.

"Come on Bruce, I look like shit."

Elena expected her husband to snort and leave the room, but instead, he moved up behind her, so close she could feel his warmth radiate through her skin. Gently, he placed his hands on top of her shoulders, drawing her closer. God how this man could touch her.

She could hardly suppress a moan when his rough lips kissed her shoulder. Softly, Bruce caressed her neck with his mouth, moving up and down her shoulder till she was nothing but limp in his arms. With a throaty laugh, his hands trailed downward on her arms, over her stomach…

"You're a clever temptress," Bruce whispered, his lips slowly ascending across her jaw line while his arms lowered further still. Elena's body gave a shiver of pleasure as he pressed his frame against hers.

"I…I have to take a shower." Her mind wheeled, trying to form coherent words even as his teeth gently nipped her earlobe. Her heart was pounding, her blood racing, and her skin felt hot to the touch. No man could ever make her feel this way.

Bruce chuckled deeply, sending chills down her body. "Yes…I wouldn't want you to be late for work." With a last kiss on her cheek, he pulled back, his face impassive. Elena almost groaned in fury, but instead she nodded and opened the shower door. Yet even though her body screamed, she made herself speak calmly.

"Bruce…"

The billionaire paused in the doorway to leave, even as Elena bit her lip. Her skin still tingled with the sensation of his kisses and the feeling of his arms around her. She swallowed, suddenly nervous. Why was she nervous? He was her husband after all. But then again, she'd never done anything like this before…

"Yes, Elena?"

His voice was deep and sensual, instantly finalizing her decision. With a tempting smile, Elena motioned towards the opened shower door. "Want to take one with me?"

---

2 hours later, Bruce and Elena entered Wayne Enterprises hand in hand. She felt refreshed and alive, her skin tingling with the gentle pressure of Bruce's hand against hers. God those hands…

"Mrs. Wayne?"

The voice shook her out of her daydream, causing her to blink rapidly. A passing assistant held a white envelope in his hands which he passed to her with a curious stare.

"Ah, yes thank you." Bruce chuckled, almost like he knew she was thinking about him a moment ago. A faint blush colored her cheeks as Elena thanked the man and they continued walking.

"Are you distracted, my dear?" Bruce's voice was full of tease, which made her blush even harder.

"I—," Instead of trying to reply, she shut her mouth and smiled. He knew the truth anyway. With a quick glance, she looked down at the envelope, reading the sender. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"It's from Gordon."

Bruce's playful demeanor vanished, replacing his smile with a frown. "What does the Chief of Police want with you?"

Elena shrugged. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing." Yet she could hardly suppress a shiver. The events of Rachel and Harvey's violent end were all too near.

She could tell Bruce was thinking about it deeply, because his face was pulled down into a frown. To lighten the tension, she laughed softly.

"Oh come on Bruce, I'm sure it's nothing." Elena leaned over and kissed his cheek, earning her a smile. "I'll drop by your office later, ok?"

The billionaire grinned. "You'd better."

---

Commissioner Gordon's office looked the same since she last visited. Same brown walls, same cluttered desk. She smiled as her eyes caught the pictures aligned on the wooden counter. One of Gordon and his family, another of Harvey Dent… Elena swallowed thickly.

"Ah, Mrs. Wayne, I'm glad that you could make it!"

The young woman turned to see Jim Gordon walk through the door, a huge smile plastered on his weathered face. The fifty year old man embraced Elena warmly, and she returned the hug with the same earnest. "How've you been Jim?"

The commissioner pulled away, the smile still in place. "Ah, same old, same old. And you?"

Elena smiled politely. "I'm well."

"Good, good." Gordon walked around the cluttered desk and sat down heavily on the leather chair. It creaked and protested as he leaned back comfortably.

Elena cleared her throat. "Gordon, I'm a bit surprised at why you asked me to come here today."

The man nodded, clearly understanding her tone. "I know. I am too. But I thought you might want to meet the new D.A. who's taking over Harvey's position."

"Ah." In all honesty, she would much rather never see this place again, as it brought back too many unpleasant memories. Her explaining to the police what happened when Rachel died, coming back after her escape from Joker… She shuddered. She hoped she never saw that man again either.

Gordon's face grew serious. "His name is Raymond Slews. A small town guy, good with people. There is no real threat to anyone but…mostly, I wanted you here because…" He glanced around his office suspiciously, as if there were hidden foes in the darkness. Elena leaned closer.

"What?"

"…because I don't trust him."

The young woman's face grew confused. "Couldn't you have brought Ramirez or…"

"Ramirez disappeared after Harvey's death." Gordon's face grew darker. "You'll understand what I'm saying when you meet him."

Elena was more confused than ever, but they were interrupted by a squeak of the door opening. Gordon's face transformed in an instant, at once becoming cheerful and vibrant. "Ah, Raymond, I was just telling Mrs. Wayne about you." With one hand, he motioned towards Elena. "Mrs. Wayne, I'd like to introduce you to the new D.A. Mr. Raymond Slews."

---

**Author's Note:** Please review! I'll update as soon as I can!


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Elena Rose/Wayne.

**Author's Note: **So here's the next chapter of My Guardian Angel! I'm going to try and post a lot sooner because school is almost over. Yay! :D Please review!!

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"Elena, meet Dr. Raymond Slews."

The person that walked through the door was nothing like Elena expected. A middle-aged man, maybe in his late forties, wearing a clean pressed suit and a welcoming smile. His dark brown hair was neatly combed behind his ears, only a few gray hairs tinting his temple. His clam blue eyes reflected nothing from within, although Elena could almost sense something boiling beneath the calm complexion. And there _was_ something familiar about him, as if she'd seen him before, but the sensation faded away and the thought escaped her.

Elena offered her hand to shake, and found Slews hand cold and clammy. It was unnerving.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Mrs. Wayne."

Elena caught Gordon's eye. It almost looked like he was praying she'd be nice to the new D.A. The young woman sighed.

"As am I to finally meet you, doctor. I hope Gotham has been kind to you."

Slews laughed, perfect white teeth showing from inside his open mouth. Small wrinkles formed at the corner of his eyes, a result from endless smiling. "Oh she has been most kind to me."

After a minute of awkward silence, Elena grimaced. "I'm sorry, but a question has been bothering me since I was told of your arrival. Where did you say you were from?"

She could see Gordon mentally slapping himself from here, but she didn't care. Something about this man was odd. Almost _too_ perfect.

If Raymond Slews was bothered by the question, he didn't show it. Instead, he merely smiled. "I worked in Metropolis for a while, but found it didn't need my area of expertise anymore. I figured with Harvey Dent's passing—God rest his soul—Gotham would need a new D.A."

Slews paused for a moment. "Is Mr. Wayne here as well?"

Gordon cleared his throat and spoke, even as Elena shook her head. "I'm afraid Mr. Wayne couldn't make a formal greeting."

Raymond's face sagged a little, but he recovered with a quick smile. "Never mind then. It's not like he actually has a job to do unlike some of us."

Both Gordon and the new D.A. shared a quick laugh, but Elena was less than amused. She placed her hands on her hips defiantly. "That _is_ my husband you're talking about."

The room went silent. Gordon tugged at the collar of his uniform, feeling the tense atmosphere as Elena and Raymond stared at each other. For the first time, Raymond looked less like a kind gentleman, and more like a frightening shadow.

"My, my, a girl from the suburbs marrying a billionaire playboy." Raymond sneered. "Your parents must be so proud."

Elena's sapphire eyes narrowed dangerously, and even Gordon shrank back a little from her gaze. "My parents are dead."

Just like that, the cold room vanished as Raymond's gaze turned to shock. "Your mother? Is…dead?"

Elena's own eyes melted into confusion. "She shot herself. Why?"

A small pang of guilt and sadness rang through her chest, but it was very small. After all, it was a long time ago.

What was even more disturbing was the way Raymond's face crumbled to sadness. As if he had known her mother himself. Elena's eyes grew suspicious.

Before she could even begin to ask, he composed himself and coughed quietly. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both." Raymond glanced around the room, all the while backing away towards the door with a nervous expression on his face.

As soon as the new D.A. disappeared behind the glass door, Elena turned angrily to Gordon. "I don't like him."

The commissioner exhaled deeply, rubbing his eyes. "Look, Elena…"

"Why would you hire someone in which you don't even trust? I know you're desperate for a new D.A. but this guy—,"

"Elena, I didn't have a choice." The young woman tried to speak, but Gordon cut her off. "The commissioner doesn't get to pick Gotham's D.A. The mayor, and a board of trustees, all chose Raymond because of his excellent success rate with criminals in Metropolis."

"But--,"

Gordon slammed his fist down onto the table, startling her into silence. "Damn it, Elena, I don't care if you don't like this guy. With Batman out of the picture, criminals have been running loose like crazy. People are starting to panic!" _If only you knew Batman's still there…_ she thought, but kept her mouth shut. "We need someone to look out for this city, Mrs. Wayne. I can't do it alone."

Elena's gaze softened as she looked upon the aging commissioner. She hadn't even began to comprehend the stress resting upon this poor man's shoulders. Quietly, she placed one hand gently on his arm. When he looked up, she smiled.

"Alright. I'll try and get used to him."

---

Elena walked down the clean hallways of Wayne Tower, a single book in hand.

"Mrs. Wayne, you have a 10 o'clock meeting tomorrow morning, brunch with Secretary Gibbins, a press conference at one, followed by a Gotham Daily magazine interview…" The blond secretary paused for a moment, glancing up at her companion. "Mrs. Wayne?"

Until that point, Elena had heard nothing that was said, just the dull endless roar of office life. When had everything changed?

"Mrs. Wayne?"

It was then she noticed someone was waving a hand in front of her face to get her attention. Elena blinked rapidly.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. You were saying, Teresa?"

The blond woman raised an eyebrow in question, but said nothing about her lack of attention. "The Gotham Daily magazine interview, lunch with your husband at three…"

Elena stopped suddenly, as if remembering something important. "Oh, dang, I was going to talk to Bruce…"

"About what?"

The young women turned to see Mr. Wayne standing not a foot from them, a handsome smile on his face. His dark brown eyes twinkled as he saw her own face light up in excitement.

"Bruce!"

Elena practically launched herself into his arms, loving the way they enclosed around her back in a strong embrace. She heard his chest rumble as he laughed.

"Who else would it be?"

Pulling away for a moment, Elena glanced to see if Teresa was still around, but it seemed she had already left. Taking Bruce's hand, she led him to a small cove in the wall behind some pillars.

Bruce's eyes grew mischievous. "Honey, I know you're unable to resist me, but—,"

"I'm not going to do anything naughty, Bruce." His deep laugh only made her blush harder. "By the way, how did you sneak up on me?"

Bruce only smiled. "I was trained as a ninja, remember?"

Elena shook her head, astonished. "Anyways, I wanted to tell you something. I met the new D.A."

Bruce's joyful expression faded almost instantly. Instead, a more stern-faced man stood before her. "What's he like?"

When Bruce asks 'What's he like?' he really means, 'What interesting things can you tell me that I could use to fuel research in the Bat cave?' Yeah…Alfred told her that once.

"He's super secretive, but he always answers enough to avoid suspicion. He smiles, but there's something he's not telling Gordon or the mayor. He also stayed at Metropolis before coming here."

Bruce nodded, mentally calculating the information to check up on it later. Glancing down at Elena though, his face softened into concern. "What's wrong?"

Elena looked at her shoes, but didn't say anything. Slowly, Bruce lifted her chin with his finger, and his face grew almost panicked. "What is it?"

"It's nothing really…just…"

She seemed to think about it for a moment, and finally gave in. "It's just…Slews reacted when I told him my mom was dead. If he knew her, or maybe he saw her before she pulled the trigger…" She clenched her teeth tightly, and willed herself to not start crying. With a deep breath, she continued. "I know it's a wide margin, but if there's anything I could find out…"

It wasn't until she finished talking that she realized her cheeks were wet. Embarrassed, Elena rubbed them furiously. "It's stupid…" she muttered, not knowing that Bruce was watching her.

"Crying for a lost parent is not stupid," He argued.

Elena looked up at him and smiled, thankful that he was being so considerate. "Maybe for parents like yours were Bruce it's not. Mine just made me miserable." When he didn't respond, she looked down again.

"Hey, hey…" Bruce lowered his head and gently kissed her cheeks, smiling softly as she glanced up at him. "I'll look it up for you. We'll see if he knew your mother."

---

**Author's Note:** So who do you think Raymond is? :D What did you think of him on the first time meeting him? Please review!! ^_^ (I'm already halfway done with Ch. 4 so I'll update soon!!)


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **I'll be updating again soon, so keep checking in! Please review as well, it helps me write the next chapter. Thanks so much for all the seasonal reviewers, you guys are the best!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Elena.

---

Elena awoke the next morning with an extreme stomach ache. She spent most of the hour vomiting and trying to remember what she had for dinner last night. While the time went by, she began imagining more and more horrific things that could have made her sick. Food poisoning? An allergic reaction? Yet after the hour passed, and the bile had left her system, Elena got to her feet shakily and went to go find water.

As she entered the kitchen, Alfred was already at the stove, frying eggs and bacon. He smiled as she sat on the stools.

"Good morning, Mrs. Wayne."

Elena smiled back at him, but it did not reach her eyes. The old man's eyebrows furrowed in concern, immediately seeing through her façade. Of course, her pale skin and shaky hands might have given it away too.

"What's wrong dear?"

The young woman rubbed her forehead stiffly, and sighed. "I don't know. I just threw up, but I don't think it was the food last night. How was Bruce?"

Alfred chuckled, and turned back to the food he was cooking. "As you know, miss, Master Bruce's stomach is like iron. It probably came from all those years of eating mud pies."

Elena stared at the old man incredulously, her stomach momentarily forgotten. "He used to eat mud?"

"Oh yes, that was his favorite desert as I recall," he chuckled at some old memory. "Of course he_ was_ only two years old at the time."

They both shared a gentle laugh and afterwards, Alfred offered her some tea. She accepted it gratefully.

"Do you want me to inform Wayne Tower that you won't be coming in today?"

Elena shook her head and placed the tea cup onto the counter. "No. I feel fine now. It must've gone out of my system."

But Alfred just shook his head. "Ms, if you're sick, you should at least go see a doctor. It would be horrible for both of us if something happened to you."

The young woman smiled softly and leaned over to kiss his head. "You're amazing, Alfred." A faint blush colored the old man's cheeks as she continued. "But really, I'm fine. I wouldn't want to worry Bruce over something so small."

With a nod, she grabbed her tea cup and went to lounge on the couch. The aroma of bacon soon called to her, however, and she found her mouth begin to water.

"Alfred? Would you mind--,"

She stopped short as the butler walked over with a plate of bacon in hand. Elena laughed softly.

"I guess I am easy to read. Thanks, Alfred." She eyed the food with delight and hunger. "I don't know why, but I'm really craving bacon right now." With a contented sigh, she popped one piece into her mouth, enjoying the burst of juicy flavor.

"I'll go get you some orange juice," The old butler said, but she was too busy eating the meat to hear. He smiled.

As he disappeared into the kitchen, Elena glanced down at the coffee table for a moment, in search of a napkin. Instead, something caught her eye. Hidden behind some economic magazines was a single piece of newspaper, it's headline big and bold. It read:

_BANK ROBBERY AT GOTHAM CENTRAL_

Intrigued, Elena picked up the gray bundle of paper and read on.

_Last night, at approximately 2am, Gotham's Central Bank was robbed. Nearly one million dollars was stolen from the vault, leaving the other half a trillion dollars in the safe, leaving us to speculate what the robbers really wanted. When the police arrived on the scene, a single sentence was written into the wall. Police have not released what it said, but they will tell us that it was a riddle. Police investigation…_

"Mrs. Wayne?"

The voice startled Elena out of her reverie, making her glance up in surprise. Alfred stood looking down at her, a glass of orange juice in hand. "Are you alright, miss?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hey Alfred, what's this all about?" She pointed to the newspaper in question.

The old butler leaned down and after a moment shook his head. "Oh, just another piece of horrible news. Really, miss, you shouldn't read such negative writing…"

Elena interrupted him. "Was Batman there?" The way Alfred cleverly avoided her gaze was a sure sign something was fishy. She tried again.

"Who were the robbers?"

Alfred looked at her then, a guilty expression written on her face. For some reason, she heard a certain desperation in her voice. She saw the panic in his grey eyes, yet after a moment, he relaxed and sat down with her on the couch. "Alright, alright." He glanced aroung the room again, a serious expression on his face. "He's called the Riddler."

---

At that exact moment, somewhere in the Narrows, two men stood in front of a large desk, heads bowed in shame. They were almost the complete opposites of each other. One was immensely large for his age, weighing close to 400 pounds, with a fat turned up nose and an ugly toothless grin. Though only a single light hung from the ceiling, his whole body was covered in sweat, partially because the strain of standing up was hard and partially because of his own nervousness.

The other man, a tiny fellow with beady eyes, shifted from foot to foot. He glanced up at the obese man, who stared back dumbly, then looked at the man sitting behind the wooden desk.

"Boss…" the skinny one whined, but was immediately interrupted by the sound of a cane hitting the desk. The two thugs flinched.

"I asked you to do this one simple thing…" The boss's voice was dangerously quiet and calm, which only meant one thing. He was furious.

"This one simple thing. 'Steal the money' I said, 'steal it and bring it back to me.' It's like I'm talking to a monkey."

"But, boss! Batman came!"

The sudden silence that followed was almost too much for the men to handle. Then, all at once, the boss exploded into laughter.

"Hehehehehehehehehe!"

The two men glanced at each other—the skinny one twitching—then looked back at their boss. "Boss?"

"HeheheheHEHEHEHEHE!!"

Finally, the boss composed himself somewhat, still chuckling from time to time. The two thugs continued to stare at him, until he tapped his cane on the table.

"Riddle me this, riddle me that, who's afraid of the big, black bat?"

"Gee, boss, you're acting kind of crazy—,"

The cane slapped down hard on the table, making a dent. "DON'T YOU _EVER_ CALL ME THAT! I fooled the police, the doctors, the Parole Board—all of them! There's only one person who's able to challenge me: Batman!"

The overweight thug scratched his head. "So…what do we do?"

The boss smiled; a single white gleam in the dead of darkness. "It's simple. We find out who Batman really is." He chuckled. "Riddle me this: What kind of man has bats on the brain?"

---

**Author's Note:** Wow, I didn't know the Riddler would be so much fun to write! :D Took some inspiration from some old Batman movies, see if you can guess where! ^_^ Review please!!


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Hope you enjoy this chapter! I'll post another as soon as I can! Hugs and kisses to all the seasoned reviewers!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Elena Rose (Wayne).

---

Elena sat in the company seat, feeling exhausted. The meeting had stretched on for nearly two hours longer than it was supposed to, with no end in sight. All the marketers and attorneys seemed glued to what Raymond Slews was saying, but she just couldn't find it in her heart or sleepy brain to listen.

"We cracked down on the drug dealers in the Narrows last week, greatly reducing…"

She barely stifled the yawn that threatened to escape, instead settling for biting her lip and praying no one would notice. Bruce, who sat next to her, looked nearly as bored as she, but managed to hide it well with one of his 'I'm listening to you' looks. Elena glanced at him for a second, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and the way his shoulders seemed to slump forward ever so slightly. It must've been a hard night for him, too.

Slowly, Elena reached over and laid her hand on top of his, meeting her husband's eye for a moment. Bruce smiled faintly and squeezed her hand, giving her silent support.

"Mr. Wayne? What do you think?"

Elena froze and turned her gaze to the new D.A. To the audience, he had asked an innocent question of approval, but she could see his eyes mocking her, desperate to make Bruce seem like an idiot. But the billionaire was unfazed.

"Well, if this doesn't work, maybe we can buy them each a puppy to play with. I hear criminals really open up with cute animals."

Everyone in the room chuckled, everyone, except Raymond Slews. His face was flushed an angry red, both from anger and his own embarrassment.

"Now I'm pretty sure this meeting should've ended an hour ago," Bruce said, smiling. "So I had some donuts and coffee prepared for all of you as a tasty apology. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Everyone stood as Bruce and Elena rose from their chairs, smiles on their faces when the couple passed them by.

As the door shut behind them, Elena turned to Bruce. "How do you do it?"

Bruce turned to smile at his wife. "Do what?"

"Be…totally wonderful, and then a complete idiot, all in an effort to mask your true identity. How do you do it?"

He paused in his stride to kiss her on the forehead. "With lots of practice, love." The billionaire's smile quickly turned into a grimace however, as he glanced down at his watch.

"Damn…I was supposed to meet Lucius about a new development."

Elena knew that a 'new development' meant something involving Batman. She cocked an eyebrow. "Rough night?"

Bruce laughed, but there was no humor in his voice. "Aren't they always?" He looked at his watch again, his expression impatient. "Sorry, El, I have to go."

She leaned forward to kiss him quickly on the cheek, before he disappeared behind a cluster of employees, making her heart sink. "Bye…" Elena whispered, sighing quietly. Some of the workers called her name, but she ignored them as she walked, not wanting to explain the economic chart of the plans for business again.

As soon as she reached the door to her office, a strong hand grabbed her wrist. Startled, she looked up. It was Raymond Slews.

"Dr. Slews—,"

"I don't know what your husband is playing at," his voice was remarkably different from the previous meeting. It was frightening. "But no one makes fun of me and gets away with it."

Alarm shot through Elena as she stared wide-eyed at the man before her. His grip on her arm was like iron and almost painful. She tried to pull away, but he held firm. Yet instead of cowering down, Elena felt a burst of adrenaline. She leaned dangerously close to him. "Are you threatening me?"

Even to the young woman, her voice sounded icy cold. The grip on her arm tightened.

"I'm just saying you should know the value of all your pieces before you decide to play the game."

Elena's eyes narrowed. "Get your hand off my arm." The grip released, making her aware of how much her arm throbbed. She didn't acknowledge it. Instead, she stared long and hard at the new D.A. His dark blue eyes looked severely bloodshot, or maybe it was just the lighting.

"I suggest you play wisely, Mrs. Wayne," He hissed, his face livid. Yet as an employee walked by, his expression morphed into polite courtesy in a matter of seconds. As if they were having a polite conversation, not a death match.

Elena glared at him. "Goodbye Dr. Slews."

He sneered. "Goodbye Mrs. Wayne."

---

Even if Elena refused to admit it, she was involuntarily trembling. The confrontation with Raymond left not only her wrist badly bruised, but her protection as well. She cursed quietly for being so afraid, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to tell Bruce. If she did, Raymond would have more to worry about than a lost job and a ruined reputation. Besides, Elena wanted to figure out what he was up to first.

She didn't even notice Teresa walking beside her until the secretary spoke. "Mrs. Wayne?"

"Huh?" Elena blinked, startled. Then she smiled. "Oh, hi Teresa. I thought you were supposed to be taking care of your sick dog?"

The blonde beauty laughed, pearly white teeth showing from behind her lips. "I was. But I think Scruffs can last an hour. When I got your message, I had to come over." She reached inside her purse, much to Elena's curiosity, and pulled out a grocery bag filled with three packaged items.

All of a sudden, her heart was in her throat. Elena remembered calling Teresa in the dead of night, when she had been throwing up again. She remembered asking her to go to the drugstore and pick up pregnancy tests just in case. She knew it was foolhardy to hope, but her heart seemed to speed up without her consent.

Teresa reached over and gave her a quick affectionate hug. "I hope it's positive." When she saw Elena's red cheeks, she laughed. "Oh, come on, I know you and Bruce will make excellent parents."

The young woman shook her head, bewildered. "You don't know Bruce like I do. He'll either put me in a glass box or strap me down in a hospital and order me on bed rest." She looked at the plastic bag in her hand for a moment. "I mean…it's not for certain either. I could just have the flu…" Yet as she said it, Elena knew what her heart really wanted.

Teresa laughed and motioned to the door across from them. "Go on, the pressure's killing me!"

Butterflies in her stomach, Elena grabbed the plastic bag and walked into the bathroom.

---

She couldn't believe it. Her hands were shaking, her stomach was queasy, her head was light… Elena let out a squeal of excitement, staring at the three pregnancy tests on the bathroom counter with trembling astonishment.

They were all positive. She was pregnant.

---

**Author's Note:** Woo-hoo! :D I'd been looking forward to writing this chapter all week hehe. Now how will Bruce take it? And how will he find out? ^_^ Tune in!


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Sorry I haven't updated in a while. ^_^ Here's the next chapter of My Guardian Angel, don't forget to review afterwards!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Elena.

---

"Oh my god!" Teresa squealed so loud the entire lunchroom paused for a moment to look at her. Elena laughed, both at the situation and the way her secretary kept looking at her stomach.

"It's not an alien, Teresa," she said, a smile gracing her lips. This was the happiest day of her life. A small part—a _very _small part—was worried how Bruce would take it, but that was quickly shoved aside. A baby! Elena could hardly contain her excitement.

"I know, I know, it's just…" Teresa squealed again. "Oh my god!"

The two women burst into giggles, with tears and hugs coming from both of them. When Elena finally pulled back, smiling, Teresa patted her arm. "So how are you going to tell him?"

Elena knew exactly who she meant by _him_. She shook her head. "I don't know. He's in a meeting right now…" She perked up, suddenly remembering. "But he's taking me to dinner tonight!"

Teresa let out a happy shout and hugged her boss again. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Having to give up the title of playboy isn't that bad."

Elena almost forced a smile. But giving up being Batman is. "I'll see you later, Teresa. Thanks for everything."

---

Elena stood in front of the mirror, her heart pounding. Bruce was going to be here in less than five minutes, and personally, she felt like a deer caught in headlights. Her gown was beautiful, yes—a Vera Wang strapless black dress—but her nerves were on edge. She ran her fingers through her hair for the hundredth time, and took a deep breath. She could do this. It wasn't all that hard, really. She cleared her throat.

"Bruce, I'm pregnant…"

She frowned, staring into the mirror. "Yeah, so you remember that one time? In the shower? Well, I'm pregnant now…" Elena growled and put her head in her hands. "Ugh, this is a disaster…"

A quiet knock sounded behind her. Elena spun around, just as Alfred poked his head in. "Mr. Wayne is here to pick you up, Ms."

"Oh, uh, thank you…" Elena straightened her dress again and took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

---

Bruce was waiting outside of Wayne Manor, leaning on his newly bought Lamborgini when she exited the mansion. He smiled as she approached, his dark brown eyes sparkling.

"Hey…"

"Hi," Elena tried to swallow but she couldn't. Was it hot outside or was it just her?

As he opened the door of the car, a wave of his cologne hit her senses. She sighed in relief. Already, her headache was fading away. All of her nerves were calming, now that he was sitting next to her. The soft leather of the seat smelled new and the quiet hum of the engine sounded soothing to her ears.

"How was the rest of your day?" Bruce asked after a while, expertly steering the car with one hand.

Elena glanced out the window to avoid his gaze. "Uneventful." _Yeah, I only found out I'm pregnant with Batman's child…_

"I heard Teresa came by."

"Yeah, I called her to get some things I needed from the store." _You know, pregnancy tests?_

Bruce looked over at her, his expression apologetic. "Sorry I had to leave you at the end of the meeting—,"

"It's okay." Elena smiled, and then looked back out the window. "My day was pretty boring though. How was yours?"

---

The restaurant was called El Amor. It was a beautiful building, painted golden brown with large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and long stone pillars guarding the entrance. Apparently, it was a five star dining where every known celebrity came to eat. And of course, Bruce owned the place.

"Good evening senor, we have your table ready."

"Thank you." Bruce took Elena's hand under his arm, and followed the hostess through the crowded room. A woman sitting at a nearby table glared at Elena, while a couple who sat opposite greeted the billionaire with smiles.

"Here we are," The table was set by an enormous window, overlooking the entire Gotham City. While Elena admired the view, the hostess—an attractive woman—pulled two menus from the nook of her arm and placed them on the table. Elena noticed that she smiled and batted her eyelashes at Bruce, but he paid her no heed. When he finally looked up in question, she smiled wider.

"I'll just go then." Elena almost rolled her eyes at the tone of her voice.

"Yes, please do," Bruce replied, turning to his wife. Elena felt a thrill when the hostess rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Sorry, El." Bruce looked so apologetic that she immediately laughed.

"It's fine, really. Sometimes though, I just can't believe you picked me over all of them."

Bruce frowned. Before he could respond however, a waiter passed by their table. Elena took that moment to reach for her wine glass, and froze.

The baby… She had forgotten she couldn't drink alcohol. Trying to be sneaky, she put the glad back on the table, but Bruce noticed.

"I thought Merlot was your favorite wine?"

She could feel the panic rising in the back of her throat, but she pushed it down. Instead, she told the closest thing to the truth. "It is. I just don't feel like wine tonight."

Elena could see Bruce's skeptical gaze, but instead, she turned to look out the window. After a moment, she glanced back at him. Here we go…

"Bruce, there's something I need to tell you."

The intensity of his chocolate eyes almost made her want to run and hide under the table. Instead, she swallowed hard and gathered her nerves.

"I'm—,"

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The couple froze for a second as Bruce's pager continued to ring. After a moment, though, Bruce finally picked up the device and read the message. He frowned deeply.

"Ah, sorry Elena, duty calls."

Elena felt her heart sink. It was if a hammer had come crashing down onto her chest, preventing her from breathing. She barely saw Bruce get up and lean to kiss her on the cheek.

"…tell me later…"

Her eyes filled with tears, but the billionaire was already halfway across the room. She had never felt so alone and betrayed. When Elena finally moved again, it was only to wipe the moisture from her cheeks. With quiet dignity, she rose from the chair and left the restaurant, already knowing she'd be crying herself to sleep.

---

**Author's Note: **Now don't be too hard on Bruce; he didn't know! :D Please R&R!! I'll try and update soon!


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **I am so so so so so sorry that I haven't updated! I must confess that the inspiration of writing did vanish, and I found myself wondering why I was writing this story at all. But fear not my fellow readers! I have decided to finish this fanfic, no matter what. ^_^ Please review! This chapter is full of drama-llama-goodness!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Elena Wayne.

---

When morning rolled in and the first chirps of the birds sang, Elena only wanted to bury her head in her pillow. Alas, one cannot sleep forever, and an hour later, she was forced to open her eyes to an empty bed. Of course. Not that she blamed him really…he couldn't have known. And so, after leaving the restaurant last night and crying her eyes out, she decided on one thing. She wouldn't tell Bruce about the baby.

Although her determination was strong, she knew it was only a matter of time before the bulge in her stomach became more pronounced. She couldn't rely on the excuse 'oh, I just ate a couple of pies' then. But that was in the future, right now, Elena only wanted to deal with the present.

So when she got out of bed and walked downstairs for breakfast, she knew it was going to be a good day. She strolled around the kitchen, smiling at Alfred, making polite conversation, all the while coming up with excuses on why she would get so big so fast. Elena could imagine the conversations now…

_Honey, have you gained weight?_

_What?! Are you saying I'm fat?!_

_No, no, no, I'm just—,_

_You are! You're saying I'm your big fat wife! Why don't you just go marry some super model?!_

Elena winced. Maybe she would tell Bruce about the baby.

---

"Morning, Mrs. Wayne."

Elena smiled. "Good-morning, Teresa. Has the meeting started?"

The young blonde nodded, but her face was curious. "Yes, but—," Her voice lowered. "What happened last night, El?"

She winced. Not really a topic she wanted to be having with her secretary. "I didn't tell him. He left before I could."

Teresa's eyes widened. "What?!"

Elena shrugged but secretly panic was rising from her throat. What if she asked why Bruce left? Secretly she was racking her brain on what she would say. If Teresa asked of course.

"Why'd Bruce leave?"

_Bingo. _Elena looked away, guilt pressing down on her shoulders. "He wasn't feeling well, so we had to leave before I could tell him."

Teresa cocked her head to the side, her expression confused. "Wait, why didn't you just tell him when you got home?"

The young woman glanced at the door behind her. "You know what Teresa; I really need to go to this meeting. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

Elena didn't get to see her secretary's face because she disappeared behind the door before the young blonde had a chance to respond. At least this gave her some time before she had to come up with another lie.

The men at the meeting stood as she made her way to the head of the table, polite smiles on their faces. "Good-morning, gentlemen. Shall we get started?"

She sat down and looked to the man next to her, reaching for the latest economic calculations of Wayne Tower. "What are we looking at?"

A short, pudgy man a few seats down cleared his throat nervously. "Well, Mrs. Wayne, you're husband's funds have remained consistent in the last month, however, recently, a huge withdrawal has been made."

Elena's eyebrow's furrowed. "How much of a withdrawal?"

The man shifted nervously. "About 3 million, Ms."

"Towards?"

Instead of responding, another man across from her spoke. "Science and Technology, Mrs. Wayne. We only wanted you to be aware of what your husband is spending—,"

"I am well aware of what my husband is spending, Mr. Langely." She glanced around the table, a lie already forming on the tip of her tongue. "My husband has recently acquired a necessity to aid the NASA foundation—,"

Suddenly, a sharp pain formed in her stomach, making her gasp in agony. She was hardly aware of the members rising to their feet to help her, instead focusing on the brutal shock of soreness that radiated from her stomach. And just as soon as it came, it was gone, leaving her shaking and weak.

"I'm alright, I'm alright." She rose from the chair, smiling weakly at the two men who held her elbows in support. Elena could see the men around the table's faces mirroring her insides. Fear, concern, shock. She just had to get to her office, where she could call Bruce…everything would be all—

That was the last thing she remembered before blackness overwhelmed her.

---

Bruce raced down the hospital hallways, panic rising in his throat. He had gotten the call while in his office, and almost didn't believe it himself. Elena collapsing? He saw her the night before and she looked fine…beautiful in fact. He wondered what could cause this immediate change of healthiness.

He bustled past two nurses, who stared at him in shock, and grabbed the nearest doctor he could find. "You! Where's my wife?!"

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew they wouldn't know who his wife was, but he didn't care.

"Bruce Wayne?"

The billionaire glanced sharply at the voice, and saw a middle-aged doctor staring back at him. "I'm Doctor Evans. You're wife is fine."

Bruce breathed a sigh, his eyes frantic. "Where is she?"

Evans pulled him towards the next hallway, a clipboard in hand. "Your wife is in a stable condition after suffering through slight abdominal contractions. Unfortunately, we haven't determined the cause of these pains, but the baby is fine—,"

Bruce jolted to a stop. "Woah, woah, the baby?"

The doctor looked confused. "Mr. Wayne, you did know that your wife is pregnant?"

---

**Author's Note: **Hehe, I'm so evil to leave you on another cliffhanger, but I promise I'll update within the week! :D And there will be action in a couple of chapters, to satisfy those of you who are annoyed at this romance all the time. ^_^ Please review!


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Another chappie for your enjoyment! ^_^ Please review, it helps me write the next chapter!

A special thanks to my loyal reviewers…I couldn't have done it without you!!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Elena.

---

An hour had gone by before Alfred could make it to the hospital, and when he did, his heart gave a squeeze of panic. Bruce was sitting with his head in his hands, looking at the floor. The old butler rushed to his friend.

"Is she—," Alfred almost choked on the last word.

Bruce still didn't move. "She's fine, Alfred."

The old man gave a sigh of relief. After a moment and the panic vanished, he sat next to Bruce, noting the dark circles under the young man's eyes. His eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you alright?"

The billionaire didn't budge. "She's pregnant."

Alfred smiled; a slow smile that lit up his weathered face. He had suspected of course, what with her acting so strange, but quickly that smile faded as he saw Bruce's face.

"You didn't know?"

The young man shook his head. "No. But she tried to tell me; I knew something was wrong, and still I didn't listen—,"

Alfred placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "When did this happen?"

Bruce ran a shaky hand through his hair, still looking at the floor. "Last night at dinner. Oh god, I don't k now what I'm going to do."

The old man seemed confused. "What do you mean? You're going to be the father of this wonderful child."

It was then that Bruce finally did look up, but with a pained expression. "Alfred, how can I be a father when I spend my nights fighting criminals and dodging bullets? If something were to happen to me, or worse, Elena, how can the child be safe?"

Alfred pursued his lips. If only his father were here; he'd know what to do.

When Bruce spoke again, it was barely over a whisper. "Sometimes, Alfred, I wonder if I'm really doing any good out there."

The old butler turned his shocked expression to his master. "How can you doubt it? The lives you've saved, the criminals brought to justice—,"

"I've put out a few fires, yes. But the war wagers on Alfred. On and on. It's amazing Elena's been able to stay around me as long as she has." Bruce smirked, but it was entirely without humor. "Most people knowing what I am would have run by now…I suppose it's only a matter of time—,"

"Now you listen to me, Master Bruce." Alfred grabbed the young man's shoulder and shook him hard. "Elena is not most people. She's your wife. And for bloody sakes, stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Bruce's eyes went wide. He hadn't talked to him like this since he was a little boy. Just the stern voice brought images of him, head bowed, as he awaited reprimand that usually followed when he broke something.

"This child is going to have the most brave and clever father ever to graze this earth, and I'll be damned if I let that father walk away from that child because he's too bloody scared of what _could_ happen."

When he finished, Alfred took a deep breath and watched as what he said sink in. Then Bruce did the most peculiar thing. He smiled.

"You're right, Alfred."

"'Course I'm right. I'm only bloody 80 years old."

Bruce laughed; a clear, shaking laugh that left the old man smiling. The billionaire glanced at the door next to them. "I'm going to see if Elena's ok."

"Right you will, Master Bruce. Couldn't have said it better myself."

---

All was quiet in the hospital room save for Elena's even breath and the heart monitor's beeping. Bruce shut the door as silently as he could and walked closer to the bedside. For a moment, he simply looked down at the sleeping woman.

Her hair was in scattered disarray, her cheeks red and blotchy, and the circles under her eyes purple. And yet, Bruce had never seen anyone more beautiful. Quietly, as to not wake her, he pulled a chair closer to the bedside where he sat and gazed at his wife.

Time became unimportant in that moment. He sat at her bedside, watching her sleep and thinking. Bruce realized then he would rather die than see any harm come to Elena. Or the baby. He smiled.

A burst of joy rang through his body at the mere thought of having a child with this wonderful woman. The woman of his dreams.

That was the last conscious thought before Bruce collapsed into a peaceful sleep, his head curled comfortably on his arm where it rested on the bed's sheets, inches away from his beautiful wife.

---

**Author's Note:** Short chapter I know, but what'd you think? Next update coming soon! Please review!


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **So I feel I owe you guys an apology. I am _so_ sorry that I haven't posted a new chapter in probably about 5 months. I lost the notebook with everything Batman related, all my writings, the table of contents I had written for the chapters, the character profiles. I didn't start writing the new chapter because I was having a sort of delayed writer's block. Luckily, a few days ago I found the notebook!! :D So I thought I'd give it another try and I found that writing these characters are a lot of fun! I promise more chapters will be delivered soon ^_^ Please don't forget to review! And thank you so much to everyone who has stayed with Elena and Bruce for this long! I couldn't write this fanfic without your guys support!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of Batman except Elena, Teresa and Raymond Slews.

---

The first thing Elena became aware of was the stiffness of the pillow under her head. Second, she was _starving_. Her stomach growled in protest as she slowly opened her eyes, taking in the stark white walls and machinery hooked above her. _I'm in a hospital_, she thought after a moment, confusion written plainly on her face. For some reason, everything seemed in a fog as if she couldn't think at all.

Then, as if a light switch had flicked on in her brain, the previous day rushed back to her. The meeting, the pain… With a jolt, Elena's hands flew to her stomach, only breathing a sigh of relief when she felt the small bulge under her fingers.

Her eyes shut briefly in happiness. The baby was ok. With a smile, she turned her face to the window across the room, noting the morning light shining through the glass. She wondered what day it was, what the company was doing, how Bruce…

Before she could even think of answers, the door opened, causing her eyes to dart up towards the newcomer.

It was Bruce. Her heart gave an uneven lurch and her throat squeezed in anxiety. Any moment now she expected him to yell, to say he was disappointed, or demand how this happened. And yet, he did none of those things. In fact, now that she looked at him again, the corners of his mouth were lifted slightly. _Was he smiling?_

"I brought you an extra pillow," he said finally, walking towards her and stopping at the bedside. "I wasn't sure if you were comfortable or not."

Elena was speechless. All she could do was stare at his handsome face in shock. Why was he so calm? Shouldn't he be unhappy about the pregnancy? About what his life will be like now that he's going to be a father?

She thought of all this while Bruce changed her pillow, and sat down on the chair next to her, his beautiful face impossible to read.

Elena was trying to rationalize her thoughts when he spoke, his eyes on the floor.

"I know about the baby."

He said it in the softest of whispers, she almost was unsure of what she had heard. But as that comment registered in her brain, she could feel her heartbeat quicken.

"Look, Bruce," His chocolate brown eyes met hers and she suddenly found it difficult to form words. "I know it will be difficult—,"

"Elena," He tried to interrupt, but she continued on.

"—with you being, you know," Elena couldn't bring herself to say Batman, "but it'll be ok—,"

"Elena," She ignored him. If she stopped now, she would most likely burst into tears.

"—because I can stay home with the baby—,"

She was abruptly cut off as his lips connected with hers. Her heart catapulted into uneven beating and her face flooded with warmth. In the corner of her mind, she was amazed how this one man could make her feel this way.

He kissed her so sweetly and so gently as if she was the most fragile thing in the world. Tears pricked at her eyes. His lips were warm and soft against hers, sending butterflies to dance inside her stomach.

When he pulled back, she couldn't suppress a tear from rolling down her cheek.

"I love you so much," he whispered, wiping away the wetness on her cheek with his fingers.

Elena tried to smile, but with the tears, all she could manage was a watery grin. "I love you too."

Bruce smiled, his lips pulling back to reveal brilliant white teeth. He reached over and clasped her hand in his, intertwining their fingers.

"Did you think I would be mad about this?" he asked, pure disbelief in his face.

She ducked her head sheepishly. Indeed, she had thought he would be angry, or even a little afraid of what might happen to them. Silence passed before either one of them had something to say.

"You know," he said after several moments of stillness. "The last time I saw you in a hospital, you and I held hands like this. Do you remember?"

Elena chuckled as her heart lifted at the memory. "How could I forget? A mad clown was after me, and yet here you were, acting like a knight in shining armor."

His brown eyes twinkled with mirth. "You kept trying to tell me it wasn't my fault—,"

"Which it wasn't," she interjected.

Bruce just smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead. Several seconds went by before he spoke again.

"I would never give up the greatest thing in my life because I was afraid of what might happen to you," he said quietly. Elena's throat clenched as her eyes blurred Bruce's image into distortion. She heard him chuckle as she embarrassingly wiped at her face, muttering, "Hormones…" under her breath. He smiled as she leaned over to kiss his hands, wondering if there was ever a time in his life that he had been this happy.

Silence passed, and yet it wasn't filled with unspoken questions or doubts. Instead, the moments were of happiness and excitement for both Elena and Bruce. They simply gazed at each other; sometimes Bruce would place his hand on her belly, knowing their child rested just below the skin.

Elena could have stayed in this moment forever, looking into her husband's eyes. Unfortunately, human nature was not to be ignored, and her stomach chose that moment to growl painstakingly loud. Bruce chuckled as she blushed though she couldn't deny how hungry she felt. She must have not eaten in at least a day.

"The doctor said you could be released today," he told her before standing up and heading towards the door. "I'll go get the release papers."

She nodded eagerly wanting to get some food into her stomach. Right now, a hamburger and a milkshake sounded best.

---

_Two months later…_

Elena sat at her desk, admiring the beautiful day that was visible from her office window. It was a mid-February day, not too cold, not too hot. Distantly, she could see three children walking home from school. She smiled and placed one hand on her stomach affectionately, feeling the bulge of her belly lightly with her fingers.

She was two months pregnant. Her heart gave a leap of joy whenever she thought about those words. Already she had gained close to twelve pounds, a result of her unusual food cravings. Bruce had been wonderful, getting her whatever she desired whether it be food or personal necessities.

There had been one such instance when she awoke in the middle of the night, desperately wanting an avocado. It sounded absurd now, but at the time, that was all she could think about. Poor Bruce had already been up for an additional seven hours and yet when she shook him awake and asked if he could go to the store, he went without complaint. A couple of minutes later, he had brought her the avocado, sliced and on a plate, when she admitted that what she really craved was ice cream.

Instead of getting angry or annoyed, he just chuckled and went downstairs to get the ice cream, saying that this would make a great Christmas story someday.

Elena was astonished at how Bruce could do everything and still find time to sleep. He was like a machine, she could've sworn that one day he went a full 24 hours without sleeping and never complained. Yet he kept telling her she was beautiful, and how happy he was, and what to name the child when they found out the gender. She smiled at the thought of a baby boy or girl playing with Bruce and her.

Her office door creaked open, interrupting her from her thoughts. With a start she glanced towards the doorway, feeling her stomach sink as Raymond Slews walked through.

"Good morning doctor," she said, attempting at least to be civil. Their last meeting shone stark in her mind, the look on his face, the throb of her arm as he spit out words. She suppressed a shudder. Why was she so unnerved by this man?

Slews face contorted to a grimace, though it was gone so quickly behind a mask of politeness she almost wondered if she was imagining things.

"I came here to offer you congratulations, Mrs. Wayne. I just heard the news."

She nodded, though her heart clenched. They had chosen to keep the information about her pregnancy quiet to a few choice people, Slews included. She knew it was only a matter of time before he found out, but it still made her cautious.

_"I'm just saying you should know the value of all your pieces before you decide to play the game."_

"Is it a boy or a girl?" He asked suddenly, causing Elena's thoughts to cease further study into their last meeting.

"We don't know yet."

"Ah, I see." Slews grew quiet, perhaps to think, but she could see his eyes dart to her stomach more than once.

After several moments, he spoke, his face a blank slate. "Good day Mrs. Wayne."

And he was gone, just like that. Her eyebrows furrowed before she reached for the beeper on her intercom.

"Teresa? Can you get me the files on Raymond Slews?" She was going to figure this guy out once and for all.

---

**Author's Note: **So what'd you think? :D Please review and I promise the next chapter won't be far behind! ^_^


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **If there's one thing I don't like about fanfiction, it's when authors write this really good story, get you on the edge of your seat, have you checking back every minute of the day, and they don't post anything for three years. I can't believe I've made you guys go without an update for over three months. I am the biggest hypocrite in the world.

To solve that situation, I already made a writing calendar, like the one I had when I was writing 'Rescue Me'. Every week I will be posting another chapter, which means before the end of Sunday. This I promise. ^_^ I'm going to finish this fanfic if it means I have to write during a history lecture or during lunch at school. Thank you all so much for your support! Please enjoy this chapter!!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except Elena.

---

Bruce stifled a yawn as he exited the elevator and stepped out into the open lobby, a cup of coffee in hand. He hadn't slept a wink last night, so caught up was he in an important deal with Wayne Enterprises, not to mention his nightly excursion as Batman. Yet he found himself thinking he would have suffered through a hundred sleepless nights if it meant Elena was safe and sound.

He walked over to Teresa's desk with a smile. "Is she in there?" he asked, motioning his head toward the door to Elena's office.

The young woman nodded before returning to her headset where apparently she had received an important call. Bruce walked past the receptionist and opened the door.

His wife was sitting in her chair, pouring over a mess of papers on her wooden desk. Behind her, the large, clear window displayed the skyscrapers of Gotham in all their glory. Bruce shut the door quietly and walked over to her.

"Good morning, my love," he said as he bent down to kiss her cheek. Yet she neither smiled nor laughed, as she normally would have done, but merely pointed at the papers in front of her.

"Look at this," she said, her expression grave. Bruce saw they were all clippings, articles, and biographies on Raymond Slews. His eyebrows furrowed.

"Where did you get these?"

She seemed to not have heard him. Instead, she grabbed the nearest article and started reading.

"Raymond John Slews, born March 3 in Louisville, Kentucky, child of Mike and Jane Slews—,"

Bruce interrupted her. "What are you talking about?"

She continued on. "—moved to Metropolis and worked as the district attorney for several years before receiving excellent recommendations to move to Gotham after Harvey Dent's tragic death."

Elena looked up at Bruce and he swore he saw fire in her eyes. "Don't you see? There's nothing wrong with him. Nothing!" She put the article back on the desk and took her face in her hands. "Yet that man's very presence in a room is enough to send shivers down my spine." She looked up at her husband. "Am I going crazy?"

The sheer audacity of the question, as if she had asked merely to confirm her fears, was enough to make Bruce want to weep. Instead, he took her hands in his, and softly kissed them.

It was a while before he spoke. "You haven't looked in all the files," he said finally.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "But I have. I looked in all the newspapers, on TV, the interviews—,"

Bruce shook his head and leaned closer. "You know when you asked me to keep an eye on the new D.A.?"

She nodded, her eyes wide.

His lips rose into a small smile, seeing the excitement so clearly in her eyes. He lowered his voice just to see her reaction.

"Well I've been doing just that."

---

The newly re-modeled Batcave was truly a sight to behold. No longer was it surrounded by a crashing waterfall, cavernous rocks, and hundreds of nocturnal friends. Metal plates completely encircled ever inch of the space, with small circular lights adorning the corners. Large metal pillars rose in columns past the entrance, cleverly hiding several micro-sized cameras in the plates. Ceiling high storage units covered the west wall while a large cemented platform housed the re-designed Batmobile. A workshop lay to the left, while the first aid center, to the right, contained antidotes to poisons, stitch kits, gauze and bandages, not to mention painkillers and some very strong alcohol.

The main center of the space was an enormous screen, the size of three plasma TV's, hooked up to an entire control panel of computers and databases. It was here that Bruce now led Elena, dropping her hand only to type in the password, while she gazed in amazement at the equipment around her.

"I can see you've been busy," she said after a while, catching sight of what looked like a half-completed airplane in the corner.

He chuckled and pressed a couple of keys on the array of keyboards before him, drawing Elena's attention.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the screen that now displayed several different camera angles from Wayne Enterprises.

He clicked a few buttons and the camera angles zoomed in to one person in particular, a man with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

"Slews…"

She spoke almost breathlessly, for here were hours of footage whereas she had only collected newspaper articles and blurry pictures. _I guess it pays to be Batman,_ she mused.

Bruce pressed some keys and suddenly hundreds of pictures flooded the screen. They were all of the same place; a fancy loft with white furniture and white walls. Some were aerial shots of the landscape; others were of specific things like a magazine on a coffee table or a piece of cloth on the floor.

Elena looked at Bruce questionably. "It's his house," He explained, pushing some buttons again. "I've got the whole place under surveillance. Apparently he isn't just a D.A."

The next images were of a restaurant downtown that Elena recognized one she liked to go to occasionally before she was pregnant. Bruce spoke before she could ask. "He's been here every week since he came to Gotham, which was two months before he met Gordon." Bruce pressed a button and an audio clip began to play.

The voice was gravely and hard to make out, but Elena knew it was Slews talking. _"I'm here, in Gotham. It was easy to gain Gordon's trust. I'll send more word when the time is ready."_

The conversation didn't really make any sense to Elena, but Bruce turned the screen off before she could ask him to replay it. He walked over to her and took her hands in his.

"I've got Slews under control. Please, let me handle it. I'll let you know as soon as he says anything about your mother." His deep chocolate eyes held nothing but sincere concern for her, and so she sighed in defeat and smiled.

"Ok, ok." Bruce_ did_ seem he had everything under control. She knew he would not lead her astray. And so when he smiled and gently lead her out of the Batcave, she went willingly.

---

"Boss w'z sure acting funny," Lard said, sweat dripping down his chin. He looked over at Slim, who nodded in agreement, and back at the single light in their hideout.

"W-w-w-what do-o you think he's gonna do?" Slim asked, staring fearfully at the door in front of them. They had been locked in this stupid warehouse all day. Ever since they failed to steal the money, the Boss had been doing things himself, not wanting his two idiotic accomplices to screw up the plan again. Now they stared at each other, fearful and silent.

"…Suppoze he h'rt someone," Lard whispered, looking down at his big, pudgy fingers.

Slim was about to respond when the front door slammed open, and the Boss walked through. The two men went silent; the only sound was Lard's labored breathing and Slim's trembling body.

"I'm home, my precious guinea pigs," the Boss chuckled, hitting his cane against the wall. The thugs flinched.

The Boss sneered, his white teeth gleaming in the darkness. "And it's time to get _busy!_"

---

**Author's Note: **What do you think the Riddler's plan is? O.O The next chapter will be posted before next Sunday. Remember, I'm going to be posting a chapter a week, so make sure and check back soon! ^_^


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